I don’t know what to do. I think I made a mistake begging my dentist to give me porcelain veneers. I could tell he wasn’t keen but I felt desperate to get a smile which didn’t bother me. My teeth are short and stubby. I wanted to make them longer. Now they’re way too long and bulky. I honestly feel like bugs bunny. Can this be fixed?

Samantha

Dear Samantha,

In every profession, including dentistry, there are different strengths and weaknesses with each person. For some dentists, they prefer to focus on the general dentistry aspects of keeping teeth healthy and repairing them when they aren’t. Others invest time in learning cosmetic skills.

However, even among those who like to do cosmetic work, there are different levels of artistry. No two dentists smile makeovers will turn out the same.

It sounds like your dentist prefers the general work, but deferred to your desire for longer teeth. His heart was in the right place but he didn’t have the skill set needed to make it work.

My guess is, because you said they looked bulky on top of too long, your dentist tried to do it with Lumineers. This is a brand of porcelain veneers which tends to be highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place.

Unfortunately, without the proper tooth preparation (which they tell the dentists isn’t necessary) the results tend to be bulky.

Fixing Badly Done Porcelain Veneers

Once dental work is bonded on, it’s permanently on. The only way to “fix” them is to have them redone. Now, you choose the correct solution to your problem. Porcelain veneers will absolutely give you the smile of your dreams. However, to truly get that smile, it will have to be through a different dentist.

Your dentist tried. He likely tried his best. But, if cosmetic dentistry isn’t his thing, his best will never be enough to give your smile the right results. It doesn’t mean you have to switch dentists. You’ll just have to see a different dentist for cosmetic work than your normal dental work.

Look up some cosmetic dentists in your area. Make sure they have post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry. You can do that by looking on their website or just calling their office and asking. After that, check out their smile gallery. Are the smile makeovers they’ve posted on there gorgeous? Would you be excited if that were your smile? If not, look at a different dentist.

The final step will be to check their reviews. What type of experience did other patients who’ve used their office have? Were they satisfied? From there, schedule a consultation. We offer, here at Cheek Dental in Marietta, a complimentary remote consultation.

Best of luck to you.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.